Optical fiber connectors have been the fundamental building block of fiber connectivity since the invention of optical fibers more than four decades ago. Almost every type of optical-fiber-based telecommunication system requires the use of one or more types of optical fiber connectors to establish optical connections between different sections of optical fiber and/or between optical fibers and the various optical devices and components of the telecommunication system.
Standard physical-contact optical fiber connectors for telecommunication applications are made by stripping an optical-fiber section to the exposed bare glass. This bare fiber section is then inserted into a longitudinal bore of a cylindrical ceramic ferrule. The bare fiber section is typically bonded to the ferrule within the longitudinal bore using an adhesive. The bare fiber section that extends from the longitudinal bore at the front end of the ferrule is then cleaved (if not cleaved prior to insertion) and polished, and in some cases may extend slightly past the ferrule front end.
These process steps take time, require a relatively high level of skill and expertise, and add considerable cost to the manufacturing of conventional optical fiber connectors. The processes can also be difficult to implement in the field, where it is inconvenient to use large tools and complicated process steps.
There is thus a need for low-cost and simple methods for making optical fiber connectors, especially for field installations.